Lecture: Fantasy vs. Reality

Professor Brady's lecture about the difference between reality and fantasy was one of the lectures that really stood out to me this semester. She explained that there are many people who live in a fantasy world because they do not want to face the realities of life. Blanche from “A Streetcar Named Desire” is the perfect example of living in a fantasy world because she had so many hardships in her life that she lived in a fantasy world to try and forget about them. I was really able to relate to this lecture because I know personally that when something goes wrong in my life, I do everything I possibly can to try and forget about it and avoid it. This lecture also really will force me to truly think about other people and what they are going through, and will hopefully allowed me to be more sympathetic towards those people.  

Lecture: Desire

One lecture that really stood out to me was Professor Brady's lecture about desire. Desire is when someone has a need, want, or a passion to get something that they do not already have. Desire can be either created or inherent. Some examples of created desires are cars, women, or money. These are things that you need to work to get and are not just given to you. A perfect example of an inherent desire is the desire for love. Inherent desires are things that you cannot control. This lecture really opened up my eyes and taught me that there are different types of desires and that you need to work to obtain most of them. It also taught me that desire can be controlled and that 90% of inherent desires are sexual. This lecture really helped me realize that if you want to obtain the things you desire, you really need to work hard and never stop until you get what you want.  

Lecture: Empathy vs. Sympathy

One of my favorite lectures of this semester was Professor Brady's lecture about the difference between Empathy and Sympathy. She showed us that sympathy is when you recognize that another person is suffering. On the other hand, empathy is when you suffer along side of that person. When she gave the example of losing her father and having empathy towards her family because they suffered together, I could really relate to this because I also lost my father and suffered along side my entire family. This allowed me to understand the difference between Empathy and Sympathy because I experienced it first hand. I believe that when you can personally relate to a lecture it makes the lecture that much clearer and easier for you to understand. Even though Professor Brady only briefly went over this subject, it really caught my attention and that is why I have chosen to write about it.  

Looking Back on English 102

Looking back on my sophomore year of college I think it is safe to say that the most interesting class for me had to be English 102. Professor Brady is one of the best professors I have had and I truly took a lot away from this class. Even though I missed a lot of classes I still learned an unbelievable amount of valuable information that I will use throughout my life. Professor Brady did a great job of keeping the class interesting and she is one of the only teachers who was actually able to keep my attention for a whole lecture.

Professor Brady is one of the most unique professors I have ever come across in all my years of school. She is so energetic and full of joy and it really makes her class very interesting. There is never a dull moment in this class and that is why I was never upset when I had to wake up for class. Professor Brady is extremely knowledgable and is always willing to help a student with whatever it is that they are struggling with. She truly loves English and that makes her passionate about what she does and allows her to relate to the subject to make it easier for us to understand. I have never had an english teacher more passionate about what they do then Professor Brady and I think that is why I did very well in the class and did not hesitate to ask her any questions I was curious about. Even though I am not a big fan of English, there were many lectures that I enjoyed and that actually taught me things that I did not already know. I usually dread doing essays, but all of the essays and published blog assignments that we had to do for this class were all extremely interesting and that made them a lot easier to do because they kept my focus. One thing I liked about this class was that you always had to be paying attention because Professor Brady will always find you and pick on you to either read or answer a question. This keeps all the students attentive and awake.

The only thing that I did not like about this class was the poetry section. Even though i've always disliked poetry, Professor Brady did a very good job of explaining everything and allowing me to truly understand what the author was trying to say. She also made some great choices on what short stories and plays we read. “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “Antigone” were two of the best pieces of literature I have read throughout my years and I actually looked forward to coming to class when we were reading them. I think this is extremely important for a professor because if they have their students attention and respect, they will all come to class and pay attention and not cause any problems. Overall, this one an excellent class and is my favorite english class that I have taken to this day. Professor Brady is a unique lady and does an excellent job of teaching English 102.

Moral Law vs. Civil Law

In the play, Antigone by Sophocles, there is an ongoing disagreement between moral and civil law. Written Law is believed to be the law that is given by a higher power for all the people to obey, while moral law is something that a person believes is right and even though it may not be civilly correct, that person will follow that law because it is what they believe in. In the play Antigone, I believe that Antigone represents Moral law and King Creon represents the Civil law.
I believe that Antigone represents the Moral law because even though she knows she will be sentenced to death by the king, she still buries her dead brother, Polynieces, because he is family to her and even though what he did was wrong, she still believes that he deserves the proper burial. Antigone says “At least he is my brother- and yours too, though you deny him. I will not prove false to him”( Sophocles, 1131). This shows that even though she knows what the consequences will be, Antigone is still going to do what she thinks is morally right and give her brother the proper burial. She also tells Creon that she knows exactly what she did cause she did it publicly(Sophocles 1142). On the other hand, Creon is the King of Thebes and he represents the Civil law. I believe this because he is the King, therefore he represents the government and the laws that he makes are expected to be followed. Creon made it very clear that Polynieces was a traitor to Thebes and “ you shall watch him chewed up by dogs and birds and violated”(Sophocles 1135). This shows that no matter what no one is to bury him and there shall be consequences for whoever disobeys him. 
In the end, Antigone disobeys the King and buries her brother and is forced to face the consequences. When she is brought in front of the King, he says “did you know the proclamation against your action” and Antigone responds by saying “I knew it; of course I did. For it was public.”(Sophocles 1142) This shows that she was fully aware of the consequences she was going to face, but she decided that moral law was more important to her than civil law, and she is willing to die for that. This is a perfect example of how following moral law may not always end well, but for Antigone it was more important to remain loyal to her family than to disgrace her brother and allows his body to rot on the streets of Thebes.

Freedom

Freedom is one of the most important things in the world today. Without freedom the world would be completely different and people wouldn't be able to obtain what they want and desire. Martin Luther King gave us one of the most important quotes of his time when he said, "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." When saying this quote, I believe that 
Dr. King meant that freedom is not something that is just given to people, but that people have to fight everyday to gain their freedom and rights. This is true dating all the way back to the American Revolution when the colonies fought of the British to gain their freedom and independence. Dr. King's quote also relates to both the civil rights movement and the feminist movement where men and women fought everyday for equal rights for both blacks and women. I completely agree with this quote because I very strongly believe that nothing is just handed to a person, and that if someone truly wants something they have to give it their all and fight to obtain it.
In the play “Antigone” by Sophocles, the women of Thebes are stripped of their freedom by the king and other men. The most important women who is stripped of her freedoms is Antigone. Antigone's brother, Polyneices, is killed while trying to attack the city of Thebes and he is deemed a trader and is not allowed to be given the proper burial. This restricts Antigone from doing the right thing and giving her brother the proper burial. In the play, King Creon says “We cannot give victory to a woman; If we must accept defeat, let it be from a man.”(Antigone 1145) This shows that even in ancient times, women did not have much freedom and were not well respected by men and were ultimately looked down upon. I think that although it has improved significantly today, this is sort of still the case because many people believe that men are still the dominant sex and that women are inferior to them. 
The idea of freedom and oppression goes way back in time and one of the most important battles for freedom was the American Revolution. The American Revolution was a battle between the colonies and the British because the colonies wanted to be free from British control. The British continued to mistreat the colonies with unfair taxes and constant abuse until finally the colonies had enough and decided to revolt and fight for their independence. The colonies eventually ended up winning the revolution and gaining their independence from the British. This is very important because it allows us to be free today and led to the formation of The United States of America.

Post-Modernism

There are plenty of great examples of Post-Modernism in the short story “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri. Post-Modernism is often based mainly on real life experiences and the truth. Lahiri shows us excellent examples of Post-Modernism through his characterization of Mrs. Das and Mr. Kapasi. Lahiri shows us that both characters have flaws and secrets and when they are revealed it makes it easier for the reader to connect with the characters in the story. Mrs. Das revealed to Mr. Kapasi that she had an affair with one of her husband's best friends and that her son, Bobby, was actually the friends child and not Mr. Das'.(Lahiri 62) Mr. Kapasi also admits that he is unhappy in his marriage and that he dreads going back to his home and sitting in silence with his wife.(Lahiri 60) Both of these examples give the reader a better understanding of the characters because it is a real life scenario and it shows that all people have flaws and no one is perfect. These examples are just a few or how Lahiri uses the ideals of Post-Modernism in his story “Interpreter of Maladies.”
Everybody in the world has a different definition for the phrase “Human Behavior.” It is a very complex topic and Lahiri does an excellent job of showing the reader its complexities by relating it to themes affiliated with the story. The theme that I believe shows us the true complexities of human behavior the best is the idea of lack of intimacy in their marriage. Mrs. Das seems to be falling out of love with her husband and she does not seem interested in any of the family stuff they are doing on the tour. On the other hand, Mr. Kapasi is also unhappy with his marriage because him and his wife don't have a connection anymore and he says they often just sit in silence and he dreads it. This leads to Mr. Kapasi feeling a connection to Mrs. Das until she tells him of her affair and that she thinks he has kids her age and then he suddenly is disappointed that she thinks of him as a parent.(Lahiri 64) This shows that human behavior is very complex and nobody can truly define it unless they have experienced it all.

A Streetcar Named Desire

 In the play “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the author, Tennessee Williams, uses many symbols and motifs to illustrate higher ideas and help represent many things in a symbolic manner. A symbol is something such as an object or idea, that is used to represent something other than itself. Symbols and motifs are very alike, and the only significant difference is that a motif is a reoccurring theme in the story. Tennessee Williams uses a wide variety of symbols and motifs in the play to help represent objects, ideas, and actions in a different way. Williams also uses those symbols and motifs to represent things that are relative to many different characters in the play.
The first motif, or recurrent theme, that Tennessee Williams uses in the play “A Streetcar Named Desire” is the Polka music that is consistently playing in the background. The music is used to represent Blanche's loss of innocence throughout the play. The first time we hear it is when Blanche is feeling remorse over the death of her former lover Allen, who committed suicide after being caught in a heterosexual affair. Towards the end of the play, the music begins to play more often and drives Blanche to distraction from the real world. The polka music also triggered Blanche's mental decline because whenever it played it distracted her from the real world and led her into even more of a fantasy world then she was already living in. Another time when Blanche hears the polka music is when she panics and begins to lose a grip on reality. For example, it plays in the background when Blanche is lying to Stella about what truly happened to Belle Reve (Williams 1173). This shows that the music plays when she is lying or trying to escape the truth of what really happened in her past and why she is forced to come live with Stella and Stanley now.
Another recurrent theme or motif that appears often in the play is Blanche's problem with light. Throughout the play, Blanche has an obsession with avoiding any type of bright light or well lit areas.
For example, Mitch confronts her about never going out with him to a well lit area and he also says that she will not go out with him on Sunday afternoons because she does not want to be seen in the light (Williams 1223). Blanche refuses to be seen in the light because she does not want to reveal her age and prefers to keep living in her fantasy world where she is younger then she truly is. Also, when Blanche and Stella first see each other, Stella turns the light on and Blanche says “ Turn that off! I won't be looked at in this merciless glare!”(Williams 1169). This shows that even though Stella is her sister, Blanche still refuses to be seen in the light because she is insecure about her age and wants to believe she is younger then her true age. Another example of how Blanche tries to avoid the light is how she places paper lantern over her light and in the final scene Stanley takes it off and hands it to her she cries out because it is as if the lantern represents herself (Williams 1237). Overall, the light is believed to be a symbol that represents the reality of Blanche's past. Blanche's fear of the light shows that she is haunted by the ghost of what she has lost- her first love, her purpose in life, and her dignity.
Another reoccurring symbol in the play is the fact that Blanche bathes so often once she arrives at Stanley and Stella's home. Bathing is believed to symbolize that Blanche is trying to start over and try and wash away all her troubles and problems from her past. Throughout the play, Blanche always tends to take a long hot bath whenever something goes wrong or when she is put in a situation where her past is brought up. For example, in the beginning of the play Blanche is nervous about meeting Stanley and then right after she meets him she takes a bath to clean up and then comes out telling Stanley that she feels all clean and scented and feels like a new women (Williams 1179). This shows that she feels like she cleaned away some of her past and feels better and is willing to finally talk to Stanley. In reality, it is believed that Blanche's baths are used to represent her efforts to cleanse herself of her illicit affairs prior to arriving at the home of Stella and Stanley.
The final action that author Tennessee Williams used to represent something of a greater meaning in his play “ A Streetcar Named Desire” was the excessive drinking done by Blanche. Blanche drinks to try to escape reality. Stanley is also a heavy drinker and for both him and Stella, drinking ultimately leads to destructive behavior and someone getting hurt in the end. For example, the night of the poker game Stanley and his friends had many drinks and it led to Stanley taking Blanche's radio and throwing it out the window because she tried to play music while the men were playing cards. (Williams 1187) Another example of how drinking forces Stanley to become destructive is how after Stanley through the radio out the window, he ended up charging at Stella and striking her and forcing her to kick everyone out of the house and leave Stanley alone for a little while. (Williams 1190) On the other hand, Blanche is a heavy drinker but she hides it and tends to deny it when people ask her about it or ask her to have a drink. For example, in the first scene Stella asks Blanche to have another drink after she has already had one and she says “No one's my limit”,but we all know this is not true because it has been revealed to us that Blanche has a drinking problem.(Williams 1170) The scene that truly led us to believe that Stanley becomes destructive when he drinks is when he comes home after a night of drinking and bowling to Blanche alone in the house and he decides to rape her and keep it a secret.(Williams 1230) This was the scene that led to the downfall of Blanche and ultimately led to her leaving Stella's and being put in a mental hospital.
Tennessee Williams used many different symbols, motifs, and techniques while writing his most famous play “A Streetcar Named Desire.” He uses both the symbols and motifs to represent something deeper and more valuable then just the object, action, or idea that you see. Williams did a great job of using both symbols and motifs to represent things relative to all of the characters. Using symbols and motifs in a play is a great technique used to force the reader to think harder about the play and it also leads to the reader becoming more interested in the piece of literature. Overall, Williams did an excellent job with this play but trying out many different techniques, and ultimately that is why this play is so famous and was so successful.

The Importance of Honesty and Loyalty

Loyalty and honesty are without a doubt the most important concepts in a healthy relationship. Many people believe that if you are in a relationship and something goes wrong the first thing you should do is be honest and tell your spouse. Honesty in a relationship will allow for the couple to trust each other and should lead to a healthy relationship. I personally believe that a person should always remain loyal to their loved one and no matter what happens they should always be honest, so that their loved one does not get hurt. “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri and “The Storm” by Kate Chopin are two short stories that give excellent examples of how loyalty and honesty are important pieces of a relationship.

I strongly believe that if someone is not loyal or honest to their partner, they shouldn't be in a relationship with them in the first place because it is clear that they do not truly care about them. This is extremely clear in the short story “Interpreter of Maladies” because Mrs. Das admits to Mr. Kapasi that she had an affair with her husband's best friend while he stayed at their home.(Lahiri 62) Mrs. Das then goes on to admit that one of her kids, Bobby, is actually not Mr. Das' child. Mr. Das is not aware that Bobby is not his and I think that Mrs. Das should have been honest from the start and told Mr. Das the truth. Telling the truth would have upset Mr. Das but I think it is better for him to know and learn to trust his wife, then for him to live his whole life not knowing that his wife cheated on him and one of his kid's is not his own. The concepts of loyalty and honesty in a relationship are also on display in the short story “The Storm” by Kate Chopin. While there is a furious storm approaching and her husband and son are out at the store, Calixta lets a man that she has had a prior relationship with stay in her home until the storm passes.(Chopin 2) While the man is staying in the home, Calixta grows nervous about her husband and son and begins to worry and cry and ends up in the mans arms and eventually kisses him.(Chopin 4) In my opinion, the man never should have been in the house with her alone because she has a prior relationship with him and she is now married with a kid and needs to remain loyal to her husband. I strongly believe that if someone is their to comfort you when you are upset and weak, then there is a risk that something you don't want to happen is going to happen. This is exactly the case with Calixta because she was upset about her family and did not know if they were safe, and the man was the only person there at the moment to comfort her. I have always believed that if you are around someone that you once had feelings for, someone bad is going to happen and you should always try to avoid those types of situations.

There are many people who would go against what I believe and say that if the situation is right, you do not always have to be loyal and honest to your loved one. For example, Mr. and Mrs. Das did not have a very good relationship and she was unhappy. There are many people who believe that if your unhappy, you should do anything you can to become happy again. In Mrs. Das' case, she was unhappy in her marriage and her husband's friend was staying at her home so she did what she had to do to satisfy her needs. I personally do not believe this is the correct thing to do because when you get married you take vows to remain loyal and honest to your spouse until the day you die. Even though I personally believe she was also wrong, there are individuals who believe what Calixta did was also not wrong. Calixta was not sure if her husband and son were even still alive, and she was weak and upset and the man she let stay in her house was the only person there to comfort her. It could also be believed that the man, Alcee, kind of took advantage of her in her weak state of mind. I very strongly believe in honesty and loyalty in a relationship and do not believe that there are any circumstances in which your marital vows should be broken and you should not be loyal to your spouse.

The theme of honesty and loyalty is also extremely popular in many situations other than just literature. For example, in the movie “The Dilemma” Vince Vaughn's character catches his best friends, Kevin James, wife cheating and does not know what to do about it. He is very good friends with Kevin James' wife and she finds out that he caught her and does everything in her power to keep him from telling her husband. She uses the fact that she slept with him before she married Kevin James as blackmail to keep him from telling the truth. If I was in Vince Vaughn's position, I would have manned up and told my best friend the truth because the past is the past and I would not be able to hold it in that my best friend is being cheated on. No matter how bad the blackmail was, I would have done the right thing and told the truth because it is better to live with no guilt and to be honest and loyal to the people you care about.

Between both “The Storm” and “Interpreter of Maladies” there is a common theme of desire. Desire is when you want something so bad that you have to have it. In “The Storm”, Calixta says that “Alcee's blue eyes had given place to a drowsy gleam that unconsciously betrayed a sensuous desire.”(Chopin 4) This shows that even though she was married and had kids, she could not give in to her attraction and desire for Alcee and that forced her into making the mistake of kissing him and laying in his arms. This goes to show that physical attraction and desire can take over any loyalty you may have and force you into making mistakes that you did not want to make. However, the desire in “Interpreter of Maladies” is a very different type of desire. There is both desire and a lack of desire going on throughout the story. Mr. Kapasi has an undeniable desire for Mrs. Das because he is unhappy in his marriage and she leads him on and makes him think she desires him. It turns out that this is not the case and all Mrs. Das wants to do is admit to an affair that she had in the past. The affair was caused by the lack of desire that Mrs.Das has towards her husband. A lack of desire can often lead to affairs and other types of unfaithful acts. This is why I strongly believe that you need to desire the person you love and are together with because if you don't, something bad can happen and you might be forced to live with the guilt for the rest of your life.

Overall, both short stories give us terrific examples of how important loyalty and honesty can be in a relationship. They also show us how important desire is if you want to keep a healthy long relationship. Mrs. Das lost her desire for her husband and it led to her having an affair and possibly ruining her marriage and family. Calixta had her affair because she had a strong desire for Alcee, and he was there for her when she was weak and upset because she did not know if her husband and son were alright during a big storm. This just goes to show that everybody makes mistakes and the worst thing you can do in a relationship is not be honest and loyal to your spouse because in the end you are going to hurt them very badly.